Mendoza, unbeaten Indiana to face Moore, Oregon in rematch of Big Ten rivals in Peach Bowl semifinal
No. 5 Oregon (13-1, CFP No. 5 seed) vs. No. 1 Indiana (14-0, CFP No. 1 seed), Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)
BetMGM Sportsbook College Football Odds: Indiana by 3 1/2.
Series record: 2-2. Indiana won 30-20 at Oregon on Oct. 11.
What’s at stake?
Each team is playing for a shot at its first national championship. The rematch of Big Ten rivals puts the Hoosiers’ unbeaten season on the line as each team will try to advance to the Jan. 19 championship game. Oregon lost to Ohio State 42-20 on Jan. 12, 2015 in its first CFP championship game. Indiana had not won more than eight games in a season since 1945 before enjoying a dramatic turnaround in two seasons with coach Curt Cignetti. The 2024 Hoosiers lost in the CFP to Notre Dame to cap an 11-2 season before their 14-0 run to this year’s semifinals.
Key matchup
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore vs. Indiana pass defense. Moore threw for 186 yards and a touchdown in the regular-season home loss to Indiana, but he threw two interceptions and was sacked six times. Moore accounted for five touchdowns, throwing for four and running for one, in the Ducks’ CFP first-round 51-34 win over James Madison and was named offensive MVP of the CFP quarterfinal Orange Bowl 23-0 win over Texas Tech, completing 26 of 33 passes for 233 yards.
Players to watch
Oregon: Noah Whittington, who leads the Ducks with 829 rushing yards despite missing two games with an injury, may have a bigger load after running back Jordon Davison was listed as out on the availability report released on Tuesday. Davison rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Whittington is a native of Fort Valley, Georgia, who averaged 93.8 rushing yards per game in the last six games of the regular season.
Indiana: Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for three touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ 38-3 rout of Alabama in the CFP Rose Bowl quarterfinal. Mendoza is projected as the potential No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft. Mendoza was named The Associated Press player of the year in his first year at Indiana after transferring from California. He leads FBS quarterbacks with 36 touchdown passes with only six interceptions. He ran for six touchdowns.
Facts & figures
Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the only venue to host two CFP national championship games, including Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame last year and Alabama’s 26-23 overtime win over Georgia following the 2017 season. … Oregon had four takeaways in its 23-0 Orange Bowl CFP quarterfinal win over Texas Tech. …. Following its first Orange Bowl appearance, Oregon is playing in its first Peach Bowl. … The Ducks have won 10 or more games in all four seasons under coach Dan Lanning. … Oregon has won eight consecutive games since its home loss to Indiana. … Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq leads FBS tight ends with eight touchdown receptions. … Indiana outgained Alabama 407-193 in the Rose Bowl. … It was the Hoosiers’ first bowl win since the Cooper Bowl in 1991. … Indiana was the first team to advance following a first-round bye in the 12-team CFP format. … Indiana rose to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time after beating defending national champion Ohio State for the Big Ten championship. … The Hoosiers average 220.7 rushing yards per game to rank 10th in the nation. They rank third in scoring with 41.6 points per game. … Indiana’s defense ranks second with its averages of 10.3 points, 242.6 yards and 73.7 rushing yards allowed.
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